In recent years, quantity of information provided from many and unspecified information opening server connected through internet becomes vast. User can operate information terminal equipment such as personal computer, etc. connected to internet to provide access to a desired information opening server to obtain desired information. In the so-called WWW (World Wide Web) environment realized through such internet, for the server side serving as information provider, it has become important how to efficiently offer information that the server side provides to many users.
As a guidance method of user on internet, button in which address of information open server is related to picture file, etc., e.g., Banner advertisement, etc. is known. User carries out a specific operation such as click with respect to Banner advertisement so that he is easily guided to a predetermined information without troublesome operation such that character string such as URL, etc. is inoutted. However, such Banner advertisement can only guide user to destination of individual link merely related to button, and is such that management of the button is difficult. For this reason, the inventors of this application have proposed the so-called “information picture” in which picture information and related information which allows user to cause a predetermined operation on the basis of the picture information (e.g., the Japanese Patent Application No. 083291/2000).
In this information picture, since picture information is not caused to exist alone as picture file, but picture information and related information represented by link, etc. are caused to exist as one handling unit, it is easy to carry out management of picture information. Moreover, if identifier representing one information picture is caused to be included or similar operation is carried out to have ability to specify respective information pictures and software which processes related information is caused to communicate with server by using identifier corresponding thereto, it is also possible to carry out pursuit management of utilization circumstances at the user side. Further, since information picture is adapted so that plural operations can be collectively handled in the state where plural they are represented by one picture, user is permitted to be cyclically guided with respect to plural information, or management of plural information is carried out as a group to have ability to guide user with respect to the group. Accordingly, such information picture can be extremely effective user guidance means for information provider.
By using such information picture, information provider is permitted to guide more users with respect to own information. For example, in the case where information provider is seller of a certain article, such an approach is employed to utilize various information relating to goods by using information picture to appeal to user who is consumer to thereby realize distinction with respect to goods of rival seller, thus making it possible to advantageously promote selling strategy of goods. Further, if pursuit management of utilization circumstances of picture information as described above is jointly used, it is also possible to acquire valuable marketing information which reflects trend of customer for information provider. Since the information picture has high economical additional value as stated above, there exist for information provider needs to guide user to desired information by making use of information picture to advantageously develop own business even if money is required.
However, the content of information that information provider provides through related information of information picture would be changed as occasion demands. Accordingly, when operation based on related information incidental to one information picture is indefinitely permitted, there is the possibility that information provider may guide user to information that he does not intend.
Moreover, in some systems, in order to always provide fresh information although of course necessary in the case of carrying out pursuit management, in addition to client computer that user operates, server computer which communicates with the client computer is used.
Moreover, if it is recorded in the server computer that respective client computers record specific information picture, it also becomes possible to timely update information picture.
Further, if such an approach is employed to carry out notification to server computer when the client computer makes reference to information picture, it is possible to more grasp information picture in which reference is made in that client computer substantially on the real time basis. This contributes to management easiness.
However, in system in which so far as operation log relating to information picture in which management has been already unnecessary is notified, there has appeared the possibility that useless traffic takes place and excessive load is applied to the system.
More practical management technique for suppressing increase in load of such network is required.